Panel

Establishing a Common Ground for IA Practice and Theory

Fourth European IA Summit

Amsterdam 26-27 Sept 2008

D. Madsen, K. Byström, N. Pharo, A. Resmini, L. Rosati, & S. Skorka

or

The Case of the Stolen Identity

Fourth European IA Summit

Amsterdam 26-27 Sept 2008

K. Byström

Countess GreenS. Skorka

Lord BlueD. Madsen

Lady ScarletN. Pharo

Doctor BrownL. Rosati

Colonel GrayA. Resmini

The Host

Chapter I

On the Circumstances Concerning the Spectacular Robbery in the Old I. A. Mansion

Reverend Green

With a Gun

In the Kitchen

Joshua Porter

With a Post

On the Blog?

Christina Wodtke

With a Twit

In the Mail?

Well, Let's See

Chapter II

Where Anyone in the Room Has Their Saying

Doctor Brown, aka Nils Pharo, Oslo University College (NO)

Old School Information ArchitectureBA & MA Degree in Library and Information Science

Goals and Challenges

Integrate traditional knowledge organization techniques with high digital competencies

Make students more conscious of ”untraditional” areas of applicability

Collaborate with practitoners in the information architecture field

information architect curriculumbachelor

Metadata MetadataWeb technologies Web site construction

Classification, cataloguing, automatic indexing, information retrieval, information needs

Html, xml, php, etc Content management systems, graphical design

information architect curriculummaster

Digital documents

Information retrieval

Web technologies

The digital library

Advanced KO of web documents, ontologies, topic maps and the semantic web

Xslt, advanced php, protocols

Automatic indexing

Laboratory on selected issues

Specialization in web technologies and information retrieval

Lord Blue, aka Stanislaw Skorka, Pedagogical University Krakow (PL)

The Quiet (IA) LibrarianBA, MA & PhD Degree in Library and Information Science

Why an IA curriculum in LISI PU?

To facilitate access to relevant information

To learn how to structure information in all domains

To help create a new profession: the librarian-information architect

To help develop the IA community in Poland

To improve presentation skills

To give an opportunity to find an attractive job

topics

Classification and categorization

Application of IA strategies and methods in the

design process of information systems

Design of navigation systems

User experience and user behavior

research

Organization and management of a

work teamWeb page design

IA presentation and deliverables

methods

Collaboration

E-learning?Demonstrations

Lectures

Cooperation Workshops

Courses

Countess Green, aka Katriina Byström, University of Borås (SE)

Intertwining Theory and PracticeInformation Architect Programme

MethodologySet of concepts, theories and methods adapted from contemporary Information Science

Basical professional ideasIA focus: to facilitate usefulness of digital information and communication milieus for people in different situationsIA-design/re-design: often a continuous process to combine pieces of existing information

Basic educational ideasSpecialized curriculum planned together with potential employers Students work with projects addressing IA-issues related to real-life context in partner organizationContinuous feedback from partners on the content of the program

information architect, year 1180 ECTS

Introductionto highereducation

andIA

Projectmanagement

for informationarchitects

Applied systemanalysis

Information, informationresources and actors in

organisations

Content management IBasics of

knowledge organisation

Informationarchitecture in practice I

thesystematic

inquiry

Informatics LIS+

IT mediatedcommunication

andinformationbehaviour

Understanding problems and possibilities in digital information and communication milieus

information architect, year 2180 ECTS

Dynamic web applications

Informationarchitecture in practice II

Design Project

Informatics LIS+

Web design techniques

System Architecture

Developing of IA solutions

Basic Programming in C#

Content management IIWeb applications

Database Management Systems

Verification, validation and usability

information architect, year 3180 ECTS

Informatics LIS+

Implementing IA in a Dynamic Organizational Development

Free ChoiceContemporary

IA research

Digital communication milieus Implementation

and consequences

Knowledge management

Scientific methods for information architects

Thesis for Bachelor's

DegreeFree choice

Colonel Gray, aka Luca Rosati, University for Foreigners of Perugia (IT)

Pervasive IABA in International Communication & MA in Strategic Design

Goals and Challenges

Building on a strong tradition in linguistics + communication

A faceted approach to IA

Cross-cultural and multidisciplinary

Cross-contextual: from digital to physical and viceversa

faceted (as ias like cheese)

A low-fat cheese, please

I'm on a diet

A Pecorino cheese to go with a glass of

Barolo

A cheese to eat with some chestnut

honey

IA

Linguistics

Marketing

Cognitive psychology

Social sciences

methodologies

Visual communication

cross-cultural, multidisciplinary

cross-contextual

So, What Next?

Chapter III

Where a Disconcerting Thread Comes to Light

“Dress formally, roll up the sleeves and perform”“Do not wash your hands”

“We face a new danger for the country's morals and for public safety”

(Monsieur Malgaigne, Hopital Saint Louis)

Gaspare Traversi, Die Operation. Staatsgalerie Stuttgart

Surgery. Was an Art, not a Science.

“This is the end of the art of surgery.”

(Monsieur Mailgagne again)

Monsieur Mailgagne was talking about anesthesia and the first antiseptics

Art. Science. Discipline. Hmm.

Lady Scarlet, aka Dorte Madsen, Copenhagen Business School (DK)

Defining a DisciplineInformation Management Programme

We ascribe identity to disciplines based on the problems that their members seek to solve.

To the extent these problems are not pursued elsewhere in other discliplines, the discipline's self-identity is likely to be strong. Similarly, to the extent these problems simply mirror problems studied in other disciplines, the discipline's self-identity is weakened.

R. Weber, 2003

what constitutes a discipline

basic concepts

modes of inquiry

what counts as a problem

representation techniques

standards of proof

types of explanation

building a body of knowledge

assumptions and worldviews

leading theories

leading thinkers

leading practitioners

seminal texts and books

leading academic journals

official professional and academic associations

division of labor

Professional community of

practice

Academic community of

practice

Chapter IV

Where in the Pursue of Truth We Ask Some Tricky Questions and Get Troublesome Answers

“What is the Understanding of Information Architecture on

Which These Higher IA Education Programmes are Established?”

Does the IA Community at Large Really Need a Scientific Discipline?

How to Ensure that the Rapid Development in the Professional Field is Reflected in Education?

And How Do you Intend to Have Research Fuel the Profession?

Epilogue

Where We Unveil the Evil Masterplan of the Higher Education Working Group

roadmap

December 2008Survey

March 2009Journal of Information Architecture

June 2009IA Curriculum Framework